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Suspicious Activity Report Initiates Material Support of Terrorism Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated a Material Support of Terrorism investigation based on a Suspicious Activity Report filed by a bank detailing a series of overseas financial transactions totaling millions of dollars. Two of the participants in these transactions were a United States…

Suspicious Activity Reports Identify Transactions Linked to Embezzlement of a Tribal Authority

A U.S. district judge sentenced a financial manager to 10 years in custody for using two financial institutions to launder funds from an embezzlement he orchestrated while working for an Indian tribal government entity receiving Federal funds. He was charged with stealing more than $180,000 over…

Proactive Suspicious Activity Report Search Leads to Guilty Plea in Tax Fraud Investigation

In a case initiated from the filing of a SAR, investigators found that a property owner under-reported his income for several years. All told, the defendant owed and did subsequently pay the Internal Revenue Service hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, penalties, and interest. Six…

Bank Secrecy Act Requirements - A Quick Reference Guide for MSBs
Jewelry Store Owner Fails to Report Large Cash Transaction,Structures Proceeds from Drug Trafficking

Case summary: A jewelry store owner who was previously convicted of laundering funds for drug dealers was caught again accepting currency from drug traffickers in exchange for jewelry. In a sting operation, the defendant accepted approximately $30,000 in cash from an undercover IRS agent in…

Bank Secrecy Act Records Found in Real Estate Fraud Case Lead to Separate $1.5 Million Embezzlement Scheme

A state law enforcement agency opened an investigation against an individual for fraudulent activity related to real estate sales in Mexico. In the course of the investigation, an agent requested records filed under the BSA. Several BSA records related to the individual indicated financial…

One Hundred SARs Help Outline Size and Scope of Fraudulent Mortgage Elimination Scheme

In 2006, a Federal grand jury indicted several businesses and individuals, including mortgage brokers, on numerous charges of mail fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud and contempt of court in a nationwide scheme that purported to eliminate the mortgages of thousands…

SAR Leads to Conviction of Iraqi Money Launderer

In September 2003, an Iraqi national was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty in June 2003 to one count of 18 USC 1956 (h): conspiracy to launder money with the underlying offense of 18 USC 1957 (engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from a Specified Unlawful Activity…

Suspicious Activity Report Leads to Guilty Plea in Structuring Case

In a case that started from a proactive review of SARs, an automobile dealership pleaded guilty to conducting transactions designed to avoid the filing of Currency Transaction Reports. Although the SAR only details activity that occurred in a period of twenty days, investigators found a pattern…

Local Official Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Structuring

An elected official structured transactions in an attempt to disguise from the IRS his earnings from personal businesses. Investigators discovered the structuring after reviewing SARs filed by banks that detailed the illicit transactions.

The official operated a retail business and law…